After the show we stopped in to see an old friend. Almost every day on the radio, Andrea and I talk about me going to visit, but we rarely do. Today was the day. I have complained a lot about wild inconsistencies in meals I have had there, but when it is good it can be great. This was one of those meals.
We were seated at the table that MA remembers from her very first time there. She sat in the same spot. She remembered what I had to eat that night, and how excited I was to introduce her to this restaurant and the man behind it. It was a heady time for me. I had just started the radio show and Andrea and I were working on his first cookbook. According to MA, I had Veal Chop Valdostano, and she remembers what it looked like coming to the table. Not the stuff she was used to. She doesn’t remember what she had, but the meal impressed her.
Thirty years later, she was impressed again. The last time we saw Andrea it was in the Capri Blu Bar when we stopped in to visit on the way home. He talked about his rotisserie and in particular the ducks he was doing that way. Mary Ann loves duck, but only if the skin is crispy and it is on the bone. She finds fanned out duck breast with a pink middle very unappealing, and that is the way it is usually seen.
Tonight she got the proper answer to her question about salmon, so she ordered it grilled over spinach. Quite thrilled with her own food, she was also intrigued by mine, which was rotisserie duck with an orange sauce, more commonly known as Duck a l’ Orange. The half duck was very dark, sitting in a sauce that covered the plate. It was flanked by a small assortment of vegetables that looked so unremarkable we didn’t even bother to investigate them. Turnips may have been there.
But this duck! It was perfection. So crisp, the skin came off in stiff sheets, and inside the meat was really tender. The sauce was sticky and had a nice flavor. One taste of this for my wife and I had to fend her off to finish my supper. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen her that excited about a meal, and certainly a meal at Andrea’s. I had to agree. This duck was delicious. I ate more than I expected, which was no small feat with my wife’s enthusiasm over my plate.
My duck was accompanied by a glass of Prisoner, which Andrea reminded me he had. I asked for a Chianti Classico, but once he mentioned the Prisoner, it seemed a better fit. My wife tried an Aperol Spritz, which sparked a million questions from her and then a long conversation about the world of the Italian aperitif.
The visit was nice, and frankly, I didn’t want to leave. I ordered a cappuccino and he insisted I have some freshly made creme caramel. This too, was absolutely beautiful. And delicious. Again, even my wife was impressed by its taste and texture, and the only chocolate involved here was a dusting of chocolate pearls.
When we were last there he mentioned wanting another star. That wasn’t the first time he’'s campaigned for this. And last night he brought it up.. Maybe tonight was an audition for that? But we dropped in without any notice. Either way, my old friend Andrea proved this evening that despite all the disappointing food I’ve had there, he still has it. When he wants to use it.
Andrea’s Restaurant
3100 19th St Metairie 70002
504-834-8583
Sun-Th 11-9
Friday & Saturday till 10
andreasrestaurant.com
